Grooving machine



Sept. 15, 1931. w s 1,823,774-

GROOVING MACHINE Filed Jan. 16. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l 26 Inventor:

Attorney Sept. 15, 1931. L. H; WILLIAMS GROOVING MACHINE Filed Jan. 16,.1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Louis 7B. f Viiifams Fttof'neg Sept. 15,1931. R. WILLIAMS 1,323,774

GROOVING MACHINE Filed Jan. 16'. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet s IL lg 5% 5/ 1M'47 Z0 Z5 27 v v Inventor:

Lav/31E. iVi/ifams J" 55 .37 as 3% 36 -37 Sept. 15, 1931. I 1.. R.WILLIAMS 1,323,774

GROQVING MACHINE Filed Jan. 16, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor Luz/i5Ji. Fi i/77km;

iittorneg Patented Sept. 15, 1931 LOUIS =R. WILLIAMS, F LOS'ANGELES,CALIFORNIA cntoovnve.v MACHINE Appl-icationfiled January 16, 1929.Serial No. 332,923.

My invention relates to and has for a purpose the provision of a simple,substantial and compactmachine by which a surface, such-as the surfaceof a monolithic cement slabor floor. for example, can, with theutmostease and dispatch,.be grooved in a manner to simulate tilingsothat the appearance ofthe surface to the eye will be that'of a floorconstructed of separate and distincttiles.

It is a, further purpose of my invention to provide a grooving machineof the above described character by which a groove of uniform depth-willbe produced in a surface irrespective of inequalities or unevenness inthe-contour of the surface so that such defects .WlllIlOt be detectablefrom an observaton of the grooves.

It is another purpose of my invention to provide a. groovingmachin'ewhic-his adjustable with the utmost ease and. dispatch,-

to produce. grooves of different depths in a surface so that the tiledeffect of the grooved surface will b'e-more or less -pronounced,-toconform in a predetermined proportion with the particular size of tilesrepresented, as well'as to conform or harmonize with the architecturalscheme of a particular installation.

t is still another purpose of my invention to provide a grooving machineembodying a carriage for supporting a grooving element'for movement overa surface along a predetermined path, to cause the groov- 3 ing elementto produce a groove in the surface, with mechanism by which the carriageand-grooving element can be elevated clear of the surface and themachine supported for movement from place to place, all in such manneras to render the machine convenien-tly portable and capable of being.

maneuvered with the utmost ease and dispatch from one location on thesurface to another, thereby greatly facilitating. the

" grooving operations.

I. will describe only one formof groovingv machine embodying myinvention, and will then pointoutthe novel features thereof in claims;

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l is a view showing in side elevation and. in working position, oneform of grooving machine embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a view infront elevation of the grooving machine shown in Fig.1; I

' Fig. 3 is a plan sectional view taken on, the line 33 of Fig. l andlooking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4 l of Fig. 3 andlooking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line 5-5 ofFig. l and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detailv sectional view taken on the line 66 ofFig. 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a-detail sectional view taken on the line 7 -7 of Fig. 3 andlooking in the direction of thearrows, and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7and looking in tl'ie'directionof the arrows. I l

Referring specifically to the drawings in,- which similar referencecharacters designate similar parts in each of' the several views, myinvention in itspresent embodiment comprises a carriage C including arectangular frame 10, and wheels 11,12 and 13' journaled in the frameand co-operating to support the frame for rolling movement over a floor.The wheels 11 and 12 are disposed one in advance of the'other and theirperipheries are grooved to ride upon a track Twvhich broadly constitutesa means for guiding the carriage along a predetermined path over thefloor. V

The carriage C supportsa grooving element G and a driving means for theelement in thepresent instance in the form ofan electric motor M, thegrooving element being rotatably mounted on a support S in the form of aplatform 14: pivotally mounted on the carriage for movement verticallyby means of pins 15 extending through lugs 16 and 17 formed respectivelyon the platform and frame 10. The motor is secured directly to theplatform by means of threaded studs 18 extending through feet 19formedon'the motor housing and threaded into the platform, and is operativelyconnected to the grooving element by means of a driving gear 20 fixed tothe motor shaft 21 and meshing with a driven pinion 22 fixed to ahorizontal stub shaft 23 journaled in the lower section 24 of a twosection housing 25 secured to a lateral extension 25 of the platform 14by bolts 26.

The upoer section 27 of the housing 25 is detachably secured to thelower section 24 by screws 28 and cooperates with the lower section toenclose the gear 20 and pinion 21 and provide a reservoir for containinga quantity of lubricant so that the gears will operate in a bath oflubricant.

The grooving element G in the present instance is shown in the form of agrinding disk 29 of abrasive material such as carborundum and is clampedaxially on the forward end of the stub shaft 23 exteriorly of thehousing 25, between a pair of collars 30, by means of a nut 31 threadedon the stub shaft.

It will be clear, that due to the pivotal mounting of the platform 10,the weight of the latter and motor as well as the weights of all otherparts supported by the platform operate to normally urge the disk 29downwardly against the floor so that upon rotation of the disk andmovement of the carriage on the track T, a groove will be produced inthe floor.

In order to definitely limit the downward movement of the platform andhence of the disk 29, a gaging means is provided which in the presentinstance comprises a rectangular frame 32 (see Figs. 1, 5 and 6)slidably mounted for movement verticaly in grooves 33 formed in thelower section 24 of the housing 25, and having mounted for oscillatingmovement on the lower end thereof by means of a pin 34, a frame 35 inwhich is journaled one in advance of the other a plurality of gagingrollers 36 which in the present instance are shown as being three innumber, the center roller being mounted on the pin 34 and the other tworollers on pins 37 carried by the frame 35 at opposite sides of the pin34.

The frame 32 is normally locked against vertical sliding movement in'thegrooves 33 by means of a shaft 38 threaded into the lower section 24 ofthe housing 25 and journaled in the frame 32, the shaft having a collar39 fixed thereto and abutting the top horizontal member 40 of the frame32.

The rollers 36 are adapted to roll in unison directly on the surface ofthe floor, and function to support the platform 14 to the extent ofdefinitely limiting the downward pivotal movement of the platform on thecarriage. As the disk 29 moves bodily with the platform, it will beclear that as the carriage is traveling on the track T the rollers 36will follow any inequalities in the surface of the floor and thus raisethe platform and permit the latter to lower in accordance with theinequalities of the surface, so that the disk 29 will accordingly beraised or lowered and thus insure that a fixed relationship will bemaintained between the disk and surface of the floor irrespective ofinequalities in the contour of the surface, thereby causing a groove ofuniform depth to be produced by the disk. This uniformit .of depth ismaintained even when the grin ing disk is in a position for cutting agroove at an angle to a groove already cut, for two of the rollersalways form a support, so that the third roller may be directly abovethe previously cut groove without being liable to gravitate into it, andthat thus the cutting to a required depth of a groove transversely tothe previously cut groove is not affected by the latter. On thecontrary, if, instead of the plu rality of rollers 36, only one suchroller were journaled in the frame 35, a groove of a uniform depth couldnot be cut across another groove by the disk. Becauseof the plurality ofrollers 36, my grooving machine has therefore a particular advantageover similar machines which depend upon only one roller for maintainingthe grooving element in a lowered position.

The shaft 38 provides a means by which vertical adjustment of the gagingrollers 36 can be effected relative to the disk 29 so as to vary thedepth'of groove produced in the floor by the latter. According as theshaft 38 is rotated by a suitable tool (not shown) in one direction orthe other, the frame 32' and hence the frame 35 with its rollers 36 willbe raised or lowered bodily so that the positions of the rollersvertically with respect to the disk will be varied, and hence the depthto which the disk can cut, accordingly varied. V

The effective total weights of the platform, motor and all other partssupported by the platform, which impose a downward pressure of the disk29 against the floor can be varied, and to this end a coiled expansiblespring 41 is connected at its lower end to the platform and at its upperendto an ad justing screw 44 threaded into a horizontal member 45 of abracket 46 having upright members 47 secured to the carriage C atoneside of the latter to support the bracket from the carriage. Theadjusting screw 44 'is provided with a handle 44 by means of which thescrew can be rotated in one direction or the other to increase ordecrease the tension of the spring and hence vary the strength of thelatter so that the spring will exert a greater or less upward liftingforce upon the platform in opposition to the weight of the platform andparts supported thereon. The pressure of the disk 29 against the floorwill thus be varied in accordance withagvariation in; the strength-1ofthespringj41h c 7 The bracket; 46 co-operates with 3 a :simila-rsbracket 48 secured to the other; side ofg thew- 5 carriage, and .abaseplate 49,:securied to; ands spanning-the: brackets to provideza superastructure on which is supported; a rotary suction fan 5O thesrotorofzwhichiis drivenw from the; motor -M by: means 0161321 belt 51:

trained over a: pulley 52 fixed to: the-roton shaft:53 and :a secondpulley.54;fiXed to;the motor shaft 21. The belt. is maintained}: under;clriving,;tens ion at; all times, irrespective of the raising andlowering ,movenient' m of the platform 14, by meanssof; ail-idler;

pulley 55 rotatablyv mounted on an-arm 56; pivoted. at 57 onthevstato'rvofi the fan 50 and normally urged 3 into engagement with;one stretchof the belt 51- by means of; a;

0, spring- 58 connected to the, arm -and tether bracket 46.

The intake 59 of the; fan 51is-connected1to a conduit 60 having aflexible. section 6L connected to a hood 62enclosing the-disk- 5, 29 iand secured to the oscillating frame-135,.

' the hood beingprovided. on its-outer side, with a door63 to permitaccess'tothe disk; for removal and a replacement.- of the latter-..

vTo the exhaust 64 of the fanis connected,

.0. a conduit 65 leading to a circular header;66.i-

supported in elevated position from the brackets 46 and 48 by meansof'rods.-67, andfrom the header is suspended a bag;68,.- It will be clearthat during the grooving;

35 operation, the material as removed from the;

I 'floor by the disk: 29xwill be suckedbythe fan 51 from the interiorof: thehoodi- 62; and discharged into the bag so-thata1l;;dust': iseliminated andthepossibility ofithere:

.0. moved material interfering. with the proper,

' cutting. of the groove, prevented v The: carriage C and thegroovingelement: G are capable of being elevatedclear, of'lth e c floorand support-ed tor rolling movement,

15 0ver the floor in a direction at a right angle;

to the direction oftravel ofjthe carriages.

alongthe track T sothat the carriageycan be applied to.or removedfromthetrack asg desired. To this end and. as armeans-i fort 50.,.accomplishing these functions a rockshafh """69 is journaledhorizontally; in one. end- 0f the carriage C at rightfang'les tothevaxes of the wheels 11, 12., and 13 and; projects, fromop'posit'e sidesofthe carriage-., Tothe 5.5.,projectingjends of the shaft 69, aretfiiceds;

arms 70 and'71,\on the free ends of which; are rotatably-mounteclrollers.72iandi73respectively so that'the rollers willzbe lowered-i orelevated according as the. shaft 69Eis;

0,.rocked in one direction or the other;

A second rock shaft 7411s journaledhori' zontally. in l the opposite send: of [the carriage parallel .tolthe shaft.69., :and tdthis-shaft visfixed an arm 75. to the; freeiendof-flwhich 1.;

65 is pivotallyconnected a second arm 76 "carry 1 ing-a- TOHI'fJZTsiguided :fo'r; vertical zmovee ment :in; recess; 7 8 in theecarriage'iby means;

of: a-zpini79 omwhich thearollerr77 iSti'Otfitiv ably; mounted;andiarslotiSOin aiwalliof the; v recess,- slidably receivingonecprojectingendz ofwthe pine Thussthearoll'er: 771Wi11) lie-110w ered;orr elevated; according 'as the; shaft: 74';- lS'EI'OClIQdiII-0116':dlIGGtlOHJOIithG}OtheI'J 1 The rollers :72,q73:1and: 77 arecapable: off being simultaneously lowered.- to: elevateitha; 76.carriage G Lclearq of: the? floor and: track: '1; and support athe: 7carriage for; rolling move-1 ment; or simultaneouslye-lewateditovlower:thee; carriage -.toi the-floor and tl'fiblillbyimeans ;of an operating-levenSl; fixeditoythe shaft: 74-1 and: connectedby a 1 link 81? to. an; angulari'." extension 5821' oni the; arm 7 0,and: the-"rollers; are; capable ofibeingzlatchedsin ,their -loweredhc.or aotiverapositions. by; meanscof a: gravity: pawl-83 pivoted at84;on'the5linli' andiens iii gageableswithc a; notch 85 ;formed.=inzth'e cars 4 riage inthe planeofr the paw-l. TlieepaiWL-is; providedwith: an. angular extension; 86i byi means-of which theepawl canreleasedi. from: the :notch, to permit loweringof; the:- 9351 carriage-iI To therock; shaft: 69 are fixed t at; points: between the wheels11':and;121a:pairsof:arms;-v 87 and 88, the free endsof'whicliun'derlietheren ds ofithecioscillating r frame 35;,and fareengageablewith. the frame :to raise :the latterr and i hence; theplatform; and grooving: ele ment'; as the shaft: 69risrocked to selevate. the: carriage; G, so; that -bothrthe latter; and? grooving,-elementwilhbe simultaneously ele-:

vated and the machine rendereducaipable; 1 of:v being rolled over uthetfloorntowardssand away fromitheqtrack To; one; of, the uprighhmembers;47: of the bracket; 46 is; ;pivotedat; 89 a handle 9.6 by; m meanseof-ywhich thewcarriage-r can be pushed: over; the floor. during the:grooving: open-:5 ation, andfi onvthe base; plate; 1 4,9; is secured: asocketi. 91 from which conductors 92-. lead; to,-.t l 1'e;'motor-. A'suitable-tplugjcarried by: .110 a cfiexible conductors (not shown);leadinga from a.- source of current} supply is: adapted? to beplugged.into? the socket! to; supply;

"Let; it; be assumed that; a: cementczvfloorg forv example; is to be-vgrooved; in; eta-manner; to: simulate ;tiling A suitable}lengthrofztrack;

Ti'. is placed: om thea floor parallel .tor,the:-

length of. a groove to be produced-L so. than when the-carriage G is;-r0lled-- over "therfioorion'therollers;72,il73 and7 7 andTthen: lowered?to position the wheels 11 andjlZ on; the-- track the grooving; clement Gwill be. dis- 128* posed gtlie plane itcis desired tokprodkloee the,groove in Bthe floor, and the e-gagingmolv lers; will reSih 011i the;floorsazlongsidenthe a.

tracker 7 'i w I R1 7 With; 'thegcarriageeapplied to thestraclflli 130':The; operation 5 ofv the; machine is}: 01; 1161 i andassuming that'thevertical adjustmentof the gaging rollers 36 is such that the groovingelement will clear the floor, current is supplied tothe motor M, afterwhich 5 vertical adjustment of the rollers 36 in an upward direction iseffected by rotation of the shaft 38 until the platform 14 and hence thegrooving element G are lowered sufficiently for :the latter to produce agroove offthe depth desired. The carriage C is then pushed along thetrack by'the handle 90 to cause the grooving element to produce agrooveinthe floor parallel to the track T.

After the cutting of a groove in the floor, the carriage is elevatedfrom the floor and track, and the grooving element from the floor, byproper manipulationof the operating lever 81, so that the track can beremovedand replacedin another location on the floor fortliecutting ofanother groove.

It will be clearthat the operation above described isrepeated for eachgroove to be produced and thatthe machine is capable of being readilymoved about to producethe desired grooves as well as transferred fromplace to place between the grooves so that the grooving of the floor insimulation of tiling can be accomplished with the utmost ease anddispatch. i r 7 Although 1 have herein shown and described only one formof grooving machine embodying my invention, it is to be understood thatvarious changes and modifications may be made hereinwithout departingfrom the spirit of the invention and the.

spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: 1. A grooving machinecomprising a carriage,means for guiding the carriage along 'aipredetermin'ed path over afloor, a support pivotally mounted on the carriage for movementvertically, a grooving element rotatably mounted-on the supporteccentrically of the pivotal mounting of the latter iiand normally'urgedby the support into engagement with the floor, to produce a groove inthe latter i'n'response to movement of thecarriage over the floor, andmeans for limiting the movement of the support to- Zwards the fioor tocontrol the depth of .the

groove produced in the floor by the element, said last means-comprisinga frame mounted for oscillating movement on the support, and'a pluralityof gaging rollers journalled Tone in advance of the other in the frameand "onithe platform eccentricallyof the pivotal mounting of the latter,a motor supported by the platform for driving the grinding disk, the weihts of the platform and motor being operabfe to urge the diskdownwardly, a frame mounted for oscillating movement on the platform,and a plurality of gaging rollers journaled one in advance 0 each otherin the frame and adapted to roll in unison directly on the floor tosupport the platform, the axis of the grinding wheel being intermediatethe axis of the foremost and rearmost rollers.

3. A grooving machine comprising a wheeled carriage, a track for guidingthe carriage along a predetermined path over a floor, aplatform'pivotally mounted on the carriage, a rinding disk rotatablymounted on the plat orm eccentrically of the pivotal mounting of thelatter, a motor supported by the platform for driving the grinding disk,the weights of the platform and motor being operable to urge the diskdownwardly, a frame mounted for oscillating movement on the platform,and a plurality of gaging rollers journaled one in advance of each otherin the frame and adapted to roll in unison directly on the floor to suport the platform, and means whereby the rame can be adjusted verticallyrelatively to the platform. r

4. A grooving machine comprising a wheeled carriage, a track for guidingthe carriage along a predetermined path over a floor, a platformpivotally mounted on the carriage, a rinding disk rotatably mounted onthe plat orm eccentrically of the pivotal mountin of the latter, a motorsupported by the plat orm for drivin the weights of the platform andmotor being operable to urge the disk downwardly, a frame mounted foroscillating movement on the platform, and a plurality of aging rollersjournaled one in advance o each other in the frame and adapted to rollin unison directly, on the floor to .support the platform, and meanswhereby the frame can be adjusted vertically relatively to the platform,comprising an adjusting screw coacting with the frame and platform toraise or lower the latter according as the screw is rotated in onedirection or the other.

5. A grooving machine comprising a wheeled carriage, a track for guidingthe carriage along a predetermined path over a floor, a platformpivotally mounted on the carriage, a grinding disk rotatably mounted onthe platform eccentrically of the pivotal mounting of the latter, amotor supported by the platform for driving the grinding disk, theweights of the platform and motor being operable to urge the diskdownwardly, a frame mounted for oscillating movement on the platform, aplurality of gaging rollers journaledbne in advance of each other inthe. frame and adapted to roll in unison the grinding disk,

directly on the floor to support the platform, and means for elevatingthe carriage and platform sufliciently to clear the carriage from thetrack and the grooving element from the floor, and including rollers forsupporting the carriage for rolling movement over the floor in a'direction at an angle to the direction of travel of the carriage on thetrack, arms on which the rollers are rotatably mounted, rock shafts towhich the arms are fixed, a link operatively connecting the rock shafts,an operating member coacting with the link to rock said shafts andthereby raise or lower the rollers, and means for releasably retainingthe rollers in lowered position.

6. A machine of the character described comprising a wheeled carriage, atrack for guiding the carriage along a predetermined path over a floor,grinding means supported by the carriage for grinding engagement withthe fioor, and means for elevating the carriage sufiiciently to clear itfrom the track and the grinding element from the floor, including rockshafts mounted on the carriage, arms fixed to the shafts, rollerscarried by the arms for supporting the carriage for rolling movementover the floor in a direction at an angle to the direction of travel ofthe carriage on the track, a link operatively connecting the shafts, anoperating member coacting with the link to rock the shafts and therebyraise or lower the rollers, and means for releasably retaining therollers in lowered position.

LOUIS R. WILLIAMS.

